Grantee: Women in Global Health Philippines
Grant period: January 2025 – October 2026
Country of focus: Philippines
FutureWORKS Asia is part of a global initiative supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, dedicated to addressing the evolving challenges in the world of work across the Global South. As the Asian arm of this global network, FutureWORKS Asia is led by LIRNEasia and focuses on fostering high-quality, innovative, and gender-responsive research to shape the future of work in the region. Between 2023 and 2028, FutureWORKS Asia will award research grants and build a regional research network to generate actionable insights and influence policy. The first grant cycle is currently underway, with five projects selected to conduct pioneering research to explore key labor market trends, technological advancements, and socio-economic shifts to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
WGH Philippines along with 101 Health Research have been selected to conduct an 18-month research and advocacy project, Digital Disruption and Climate Stress: Assessing impacts on nursing work and charting a resilient, equitable, and gender-responsive work landscape.
The project examines investigates the impact of digitalization and climate change on nursing work in the Philippines, with a focus on addressing gender disparities and unsafe working conditions. The aim is to develop evidence-informed policy solutions by conducting reviews, labor market analyses, in-depth interviews, and surveys.
Given that the nursing workforce is predominantly female and plays a crucial role in achieving universal healthcare, this research seeks to identify ways to safeguard and improve their working conditions in the face of global megatrends. This study will employ a multi-method approach—including literature reviews, labor market analysis, in-depth interviews, and surveys—to explore the intersection of digitalization, climate change, and nursing work. It will generate policy recommendations to ensure that female nurses in the Philippines have access to equitable, safe, and resilient working conditions, as well as opportunities for upskilling and social protection.
This project is one of the five grantees selected under the first cycle of FutureWORKS Asia, a research initiative funded by IDRC and led by LIRNEasia, a pro-poor, pro-market think tank specializing in digital infrastructure and policy research. LIRNEasia’s work focuses on leveraging digital technology to enhance knowledge, information access, and economic opportunities, particularly for underserved communities.
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Research objectives
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Methodology
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Grantee information
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Research Team
- Assess the global impact of digitalization and climate change on nursing work
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- Identify emerging health work models influenced by digitalization, including artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare.
- Investigate how these trends affect nurses differently based on gender.
- Review existing policies and programs that address working conditions, labor rights, gender equity, upskilling, and social protections for nurses.
- Analyze the specific impacts on Filipino nurses
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- Examine emerging non-traditional work models outside of formal healthcare employment, such as health-based BPOs and independent nursing care.
- Explore gender-based differences in employment patterns, working conditions, and career trajectories within these models.
- Identify gaps in policy interventions and institutional support structures that could enhance the resilience of Filipino nurses in the face of digital disruption and climate stress.
- Develop actionable policy recommendations
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- Formulate evidence-based recommendations that support the integration of digital and climate-responsive strategies into nursing work policies.
- Engage key stakeholders in policy dialogue to ensure recommendations are contextually relevant and feasible for implementation.
Advocate for gender-responsive workforce policies that improve the resilience and safety of Filipino nurses in the evolving labor landscape
This project employs a Multi-method research combining scoping reviews, labor market analysis, in-depth interviews, and surveys. Each component aims to provide a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by Filipino nurses within the context of climate change, with a focus on gender disparities.
- Literature and document review
- Key Informant Interviews
- In-depth interviews
- Analysis of data gathered through online job posting platforms and online surveys
Founded in January 2022, Women in Global Health (WGH) Philippines is dedicated to research, mentorship, and advocacy to enhance the understanding of Filipino women’s participation in public health leadership. As part of the global WGH movement, WGH Philippines represents the country in high-level global health meetings, contributes to policy discussions on gender equity, and publishes research on health workforce dynamics. The organization is committed to amplifying the voices of women in health, ensuring their leadership is recognized and valued in shaping equitable health systems.
AIHO is a non-profit organization focused on enabling effective health systems by mentoring public health professionals and conducting strategic research. Since 2013, AIHO has led over 135 public health projects in collaboration with 41 different organizations. Its work spans diverse areas such as climate change, disaster risk management, and health policy research, positioning it as a leading institution in addressing pressing health inequities in the Philippines.
101 Health Research is a private research firm specializing in epidemiology, biostatistics, and data science. The firm provides consulting services in health research methods, study design, and clinical biostatistics, contributing to evidence-based policymaking in the healthcare sector.
For this project, WGH Philippines will engage with the following consultants:
Research Lead: Dr. Katherine Ann V. Reyes, MD, MPP (Project Lead & Co-Convenor, WGH Philippines)
Experience (LinkedIn)
- Public health professional trained in medicine and health policy, with 14 years of progressive experience in public health and policy analysis, research, intervention design, project implementation, management, and dissemination.
- Harvard LEAD Fellow, (Harvard Global Health Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Master in Public Policy ( National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2008-2010)
- Doctor of Medicine (University of the Philippines Manila, College of Medicine 14(2000-2005)
Relevant projects (Google Scholar):
- Program Lead, Health Promotion Program, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila (2023-present): Pioneered the establishment of the soon-to-be the Institute of Health Promotion through a seed grant by the Philippine Department of Health
- Philippine Lead Investigator, Comparative Studies of COVID-19 Impact across Asian Countries (2020-2021)
Key Research Personnel:
- Jemar Anne V. Sigua, MPH (Project Co-Lead & Component Lead for Literature Review & Evidence Synthesis)
Experience
- Eight years of research experience on health system strengthening in various disciplines, such as climate change and health, public health disasters, neglected tropical diseases, and infant and young child feeding.
- Worked on providing technical assistance to the DOH, the PhilHealth, and selected local government units in policy development and strategic implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.
- Masters Degree in Public Health in Disasters (Universidad de Oviedo in Spain and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden (2022-2023)
Relevant projects:
- Technical Assistance to the DOH on Transition to Risk-based Health Facility Regulation and Climate-Smart Health Systems as part of the Building Up Implementation and Local-level Drivers for Universal Health Care (BUILD UHC) Program (2023-present)
- A Review of the Climate and Health Research in the Philippines: Mapping the Themes, Actors, and Gaps (2018)
- Strengthening research in global health in disaster risk reduction and climate change in the ASEAN region (2018)
- A Decade of Research on Human Resources for Health in the Philippines: Scoping Accomplishments, Mapping Needs and Benchmarking Decisions (2017)
- Reiner Lorenzo J. Tamayo, RN, MAHPS (Component Lead for Labor Market Analysis & Stakeholder Engagement)
Experience
- More than eight years of combined experience in clinical nursing, health policy and systems research, and public health project and grant management, particularly in the areas of tobacco control, tuberculosis, and human resources for health.
- Chairperson, Committee on Publications, Philippine Nurses Association (2021-
- 2025)
- Editor-in-Chief, Sinag (Newsletter), Philippine Nurses Association (2021-2025)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of the Philippines Manila (2011-2015)
- Master of Arts in Health Policy Studies (Health Science), University of the Philippines Manila (2018-2023)
Relevant projects
- Project Manager of ENGAGE TB Project implemented by Innovations for Community Health (2020-2021), funded by the Stop TB Partnership. Mainstreamed community, rights, and gender in Metro Manila and co-spearheaded the development of the Care TB mobile application with the World Health Organization and Department of Health